Travel agents and suppliers gathered earlier this month to celebrate the 75th anniversary of SoCalASTA, as well as to honor important figures in the travel industry. The sold-out black-tie event took place on a Hornblower dinner cruise out of Marina Del Rey, Calif. Chapter president Jason Coleman presided over the gala dinner and presented a look back on the history of SoCalASTA, one of the largest and most influential of the regional ASTA chapters.

In addition, the event included the inaugural Diamond Awards, “honoring the lifetime contributions of those who have made their mark on the travel industry.” Award recipients included Vicki Freed of Royal Caribbean International; Ed and Lynn Hogan of Pleasant Holidays; Marc Mancini of Marc Mancini Seminars and Consulting; Henry Miele, the founder of the Travel Agents Guild of Southern California; Jimmy Murphy of Amawaterways; Susan Tanzman, owner and president of Martin’s Travel & Tours, Inc.; and Joseph Watters, co-founder of Oceania Cruises.